National Book Award 1973: Complete list of winners

The 1973 National Book Award celebrated two distinctly different voices reshaping American letters. A. R. Ammons won the prestigious poetry prize for his Collected Poems, 1951–1971, a sweeping retrospective that showcased his meditative, nature-infused verse and solidified his place among the major poets of his generation. Meanwhile, Ursula K. Le Guin claimed the Young People’s Literature award for The Farthest Shore, the third installment in her acclaimed Earthsea Cycle, proving that genre fiction and literary excellence weren’t mutually exclusive. Le Guin’s win was particularly significant—it demonstrated that the National Book Award’s expanded categories recognized the artistry in young adult and fantasy literature at a time when such recognition was still relatively rare.

That year’s winners reflected a broader shift in American publishing and reading culture during the early 1970s. The National Book Award, one of the nation’s most prestigious literary honors, was increasingly embracing diverse forms and audiences. Ammons’s philosophical, densely layered poetry represented the experimental traditions dominating literary circles, while Le Guin’s imaginative worldbuilding appealed to younger readers and challenged assumptions about what deserved literary accolades. Together, these 1973 National Book Award winners showcased the range of contemporary American writing at a pivotal moment in the awards’ history.

Below, you’ll find the complete list of 1973 National Book Award honorees:

Poetry

• Collected Poems, 1951–1971 by A. R. Ammons

Young People’s Literature

• The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin